Law. Faith. Justice. Community. Culture.
Airtrust (Hong Kong) Ltd v PH Hydraulics & Engineering Pte Ltd [2015] SGHC 307
Significance: punitive or exemplary damages awarded for breach of contract by way of delivery of a defective manufactured good.
Per Ah Seng Robin v Housing and Development Board [2015] SGCA 62
Significance: HDB’s right to compulsorily acquire a flat when the flat was illegally sublet.
Daniel John Brader and others v Commerzbank AG [2013] SGHC 284
Significance: Court held that an announcement made to employees at a Townhall meeting regarding bonus payments was held to be a sufficiently certain binding unilateral contract collateral to their employment contracts.
Bombay Talkies (S) Pte Ltd v United Overseas Bank Limited [2015] SGCA 66
Significance: meaning of compounding debt in respect of statutory demands under the companies winding-up regime.
Significance: principles on Rule 31 of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules prohibiting solicitors from acting against former clients and persons “involved in or associated with” former clients in related matters; meaning of persons “involved in or associated with” former clients; “related matters”.
PT Selecta Bestama v Sin Huat Huat Marine Transportation Pte Ltd [2015] SGHC 295
Significance: stay of proceedings, multi-tiered dispute resolution clause, obligation to negotiate prior to legal proceedings and exclusive jurisdiction clause; reliance on exclusive jurisdiction clause despite challenging validity of contract.
Piattchanine, Iouri v Phosagro Asia Pte Ltd [2015] SGHC 259
Significance: High Court determines issue of when it is permissible to raise new grounds for terminating employment contract post-termination; breaches of implied contractual duties of employee.
Tan Chin Hoon and others v Tan Choo Suan and others [2010] SGHC 340
Significance: beneficial owners of shares in companies do not have the locus standi to commence actions in minority oppression. Such beneficial owners should first commence proceedings to have the shares transferred to themselves before commencing action in minority oppression.
Cavendish Square Holding BV v Talal El Makdessi (Cavendish) and ParkingEye Limited v Beavis [2015] UKSC 67
Significance: the true test for whether a clause is unenforceable as a penalty clause is whether the impugned provision is a secondary obligation which imposes a detriment on the contract-breaker out of all proportion to any legitimate interest of the innocent party in the enforcement of the primary obligation.
I hurried through a tiny, litter-peppered park enclosed within an HDB precinct. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone walking towards me. A cleaner–broom in hand, South Asian descent. I hastened. He slowed to a stop. He looked past me. I threw a furtive glance in that direction. There was a domestic helper with a toddler in her arms, fair as morn. The toddler was smiling. At the man. She waved animatedly at him. Eyes twinkled. The man hesitated. Then he sheepishly waved back at the child.
We paused: the man, the woman and I.
The moment passed when finally, the child turned to look at the playground some distance away. Our fellowship dispersed. I slowly left that tiny budding garden, my heart blooming a thousand golden petals.